Wireless communication may be used as a means of accessing a network. Wireless communication has certain advantages over wired communications for accessing a network. One of those advantages is a lower cost of infrastructure to provide access to many separate locations or addresses compared to wired communications. This is the so-called “last mile” problem. Another advantage is mobility. Wireless communication devices, such as cell phones, are not tied by wires to a fixed location. To use wireless communication to access a network, a customer needs to have at least one transceiver in active communication with another transceiver that is connected to the network.
To facilitate wireless communications, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has promulgated a number of wireless standards. These include the 802.11 (WiFi) standards and the 802.16 (WiMAX) standards. Likewise, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has promulgated standards to facilitate wireless communications. This includes TIA-856, which is also known as Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO). The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) has also promulgated a standard known as long term evolution (LTE). Additional standards such as the fourth generation communication system (4G) are also being pursued. These standards pursue the aim of providing a comprehensive IP solution where voice, data, and streamed multimedia can be given to users on an “anytime, anywhere” basis. These standards also aim to provide higher data rates than previous generations. All of these standards may include specifications for various aspects of wireless communication with a network. These aspects include processes for registering on the network, carrier modulation, frequency bands of operation, and message formats.
Elements of these wireless networks (e.g., access nodes or “cells”) may become overloaded with, for example, too many users (i.e., wireless devices), or too much data. When this happens, the wireless network may take actions that help prevent a noticeable degradation in the quality of service being provided to users. These actions can include “load balancing” or “traffic management” which distributes/redistributes work among network elements in order to help prevent degraded or lost service.
Load balancing and/or traffic management procedures can include load equalization, offloading and pre-emption due to call admission control. These procedures may include the process of handing off (or handing over) a wireless device from a cell with low available capacity (Source) to a neighbor cell with a relatively higher available capacity (Target).